Everyone needs a very easy yet fabulous chocolate cake up their sleeve to stir up with minimum time and fuss and then sit back and enjoy the compliments. I know that sounds like an impossibility but this recipe really is the business. I only learnt it 3 weeks ago (from the ladies at Sainsbury’s) and have already made it three times, once for my Mums birthday where I used 600mls double cream, 400g milk chocolate and 100g dark chocolate to make a very rich ganache. Add to that a whole tub of glace cherries and my mother was in cake heaven.
If you wanted to write a name or message on the top of the cake then using melted chocolate is a fine idea. Just make sure you let it slightly re-solidify (at room temperature) before attempting to pipe it. Otherwise it’s chocolate everywhere… which could be seen as either a positive or negative depending on your persuasion.
All comments gratefully received. I love reading them. Oh and there are videos too. The cake:
And melting chocolate:
One year ago: Octonauts cupcakes and Walnut, fudge and Fleur de Sel cookies
Two years ago: Mutter paneer and Hot cross biscotti
No mixer required chocolate cake
Ingredients:
- 75g cocoa powder mixed with 200ml boiling water, cooled slightly
- 4 medium eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 300g self-raising flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 400g caster sugar
- 50ml sunflower oil
- 250g unsalted butter, melted plus extra for greasing
Take butter and eggs out of the fridge to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 180ºC, fan 160ºC, gas 4. Grease two 22cm round cake tins (spring form or loose bottomed) and line the base & sides with baking parchment. Mix the cocoa powder with 200ml boiling water, stir until smooth and allow to cool slightly. That paste will distribute the chocolate flavour. Take a big mixing bowl (you want to get plenty of air into the mixture) and sift 300g self-raising flour together with two teaspoons of baking powder into the bowl. Hold the sieve up to get plenty of air in for a lighter cake.
Add 4 beaten eggs, the liquid cocoa mixture, a teaspoon of vanilla extract, 400g of caster sugar, 50ml of sunflower oil and 250g of melted unsalted butter to the flour mixture. Beat the mixture with a wooden spoon until smooth, divide the mixture equally between the two cake tins and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean.
Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack. Add ganache, buttercream, whipped double cream… even ice-cream and then decorate. Here’s what I did to mine:
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Holly Bell 
Hi Holly, I’d like to adapt the cake so that it’s a caramel affair, using Dulce de Leche rather than chocolate/cocoa. I’m planning to simply replace the cocoa powder with the tinned caramel, and add it to the hot water? Any suggestions about adapting the quantity of water/dulce de leche to get it as close to ‘good enough’ as possible? :) Big ask, but just thought I’d ask and see what your gut says. Mine says about 3 or 4 tablespoons of Dulce de Leche and perhaps a bit (50ml) less water? :)
My gut is no water and replace whole vol of water with dulce. Replace cocoa with flour. But I haven’t tried it! Good luck! X
Holly
I love this recipe, it was so nice to bake a cake without it being stressful! Tasted delicious too! Thank you!
Really pleased you like it Frances. X
Holly
i made this yesterday and i really like it. i only had two eggs so halved everything and it fitted well in my 17cm sandwich tins. with chocolate fudge icing filling and glaze. it’s actually first time in years I’ve made chocolate cake with only cocoa as opposed to melting chocolate but as i said it’s really nice. thank you.
I feel the same! I usually melt chocolate and only really have used cocoa in choc cakes as a kid but this recipe rocks!! x
Sounds very easy indeed! And looks fab for sure!
Thanks Erika! x